NEW YORK: In a three-city media event, Acer unveiled the culmination of its multibrand strategy and introduced new products to meet the expectations of consumers in every market segment.

At a time when IT is becoming a commodity, Acer believes that a new generation of users is changing the rules for technology products. Dubbed “emotional consumers,” these users take the technical qualities of their electronic goods for granted. They expect an LCD television, once plugged in, to be able to find available channels and transmit them instantly with bright, vivid colors. A PC should play a CD with a single touch or access the Internet through whatever connectivity happens to be available. A mobile device’s interface should be intuitive and its functionality with other devices must be seamless.

While rational consumers place considerable importance on the technical information concerning a particular product, emotional consumers are more interested in the brand associated with the product. Emotional consumers tend to link a brand with their personal aspirations — what they want to be, or how they want to be considered by owning that brand. Above all else, what they buy is the idea that they connect with the brand.

Several years ago, Acer recognized that the search for affinities between a consumer’s own identity and the identity expressed by the brand was becoming more important than technical information. Realizing that the company’s future would depend on catering to the vastly different aspirations of each consumer segment, Acer set out to build a multibrand strategy. With such a strategy the IT vendor has been able to set user targets and identify the ideals these users aspire to, and then develop products that reflect their desires and needs.

The first stage of this strategy was based on extensive research and analysis throughout Europe and the US to identify the various user segments and to understand the drivers that generate consumer purchases. Based on the research, Acer identified distinctive user segments:

• Tecno-leaders and Tecno-rationals are trendsetters. They look for innovation and performance. They want cutting-edge technology and are willing to pay for it.

• Trends and Lifestyle consumers trust the brand above all. “Trends” value simplicity and reliability, while “Lifestyles” are also sensitive to design.

• Conventionals are influenced by trendsetters. They buy the same things as trendsetters as long as the brand is known and fulfills basic design criteria.

• Simplicity and Value for Money consumers don’t care about brand or design. Technology has to be simple and cheap, with a good price/performance ratio.

Once Acer understood the attitudes of the consumer market segments, the company moved to the second stage of its multibrand strategy. Brand value propositions have now been defined in order to protect each brand’s identity and personality therefore avoiding any overlap or cannibalization between them. Acer branded products will now be created with the Tecno-leaders and Tecno-rational users in mind. These will be state-of-the-art, innovative products that aim to “simplify life through technology.” The Gateway brand in the US and Packard Bell in EMEA, will become synonymous with Trends and Lifestyle consumers that look for a reliable brand that offers simple, easy-to-use devices, that fit a modern lifestyle. Lastly, the eMachines brand will be targeting the Simplicity and Value for Money consumers who adopt a strictly pragmatic approach and expect that a PC is predominantly an efficient, productive tool.

With the brands defined, Acer has created a new product line up with a distinctive look and feel for each brand. While the products in each brand line-up will be aesthetically different, each brand segment will still feature models that are innovative and fully featured.

“The products we buy are a sign of what we are. It tells something about our personality,” said Gianpiero Morbello, Acer Group VP Marketing & Brand. “The secret beyond every purchase is that sensation of comfort and familiarity that the user establishes with the product itself and with the story the product tells. Our aim is to satisfy users’ needs by selling products and services. Not merely to sell products and services. There’s a huge difference between these two concepts.”

So which group are you in? Decide how technology fits into your lifestyle and Acer believes this will help you choose which of its brands have the best products to meet your needs.